AISA activists regroup at Jantar Mantar, police detain several protesters

AISA activists returned to Jantar Mantar on Saturday, a day after mass detentions during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Police detained several protesters amid heavy security as demonstrators renewed demands over Kumar's resignation and concerns about SIR

New Delhi: A day after more than 1,000 protesters, including political leaders and student activists, were detained during a demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, AISA activists returned to Jantar Mantar on Saturday, with police detaining several protesters as they gathered near the protest site amid heavy barricading and heightened security.

The fresh mobilisation came after AISA national president Neha Bora, who was among those detained on Friday, called on activists to return to Jantar Mantar at 1 pm and continue their protest, demanding Kumar’s resignation and raising concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

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Police began detaining protesters as they gathered near the protest site, with security personnel deployed at multiple points and barricades placed on roads leading towards Jantar Mantar.

The development came a day after nearly 1,000 protesters were detained from Jantar Mantar and surrounding areas as police and paramilitary personnel prevented large groups from reaching the protest site. Many of those detained were subsequently released.

AISA’s Neha Bora, AAP leaders and activist Yogendra Yadav were among those detained.

Delhi Police has registered at least three FIRs in connection with Friday’s protests, two at Parliament Street police station and one at Connaught Place police station, under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for alleged disobedience of an order duly promulgated by a public servant.

No individual or organisation has been named as an accused in the FIRs, though details of the organisers and organisations that proposed or participated in the demonstrations have been mentioned in their contents, a senior police officer said.

The FIRs relate to alleged violations of prohibitory orders imposed across the New Delhi district under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which prohibited gatherings of five or more people, processions, demonstrations, picketing, dharnas and slogan shouting without prior written permission.

On Friday evening, Bora said in a video message that the protest would continue and urged activists to return to Jantar Mantar. She said the detentions would not intimidate protesters and called for continued mobilisation in support of the demand for Kumar’s resignation.

The protesters are opposing the SIR exercise and alleging irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.

Delhi Police had denied permission for Friday’s gathering and imposed heightened security measures in central Delhi. Several roads were barricaded and entry and exit at a number of Metro stations in the vicinity of Jantar Mantar were temporarily restricted during Friday’s protest.

The second day’s mobilisation is expected to see continued police deployment around Jantar Mantar as AISA and other groups press ahead with their protest.

The demonstration comes days after The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected on record at least 14 times over the last 10 months to decisions and orders on the SIR that they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.

Under fire over the red flags raised by two of its commissioners over the SIR process, the EC has asserted that differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberations in any institution and that all its orders carry full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures.